PDLP Chapter 194 The Heart of the Azure
Chapter 194 The Heart of the Azure
Chapter 194 The Heart of the Azure
Xu Xiaoxiao stopped and followed Jiang Jingzhi's gaze. She then noticed that the vines were a strange deep purple, with a faint glow on their surface, and they were constantly wriggling, as if they were alive.
Moreover, with each vine's wriggling motion, a wisp of spiritual energy would be drawn from the entangled demon, climbing upwards along the vine and eventually disappearing at its tip.
Jiang Jingzhi then pointed to the spirit swords scattered on the ground. These were high-level magic weapons, and powerful spiritual energy fluctuations still lingered on their blades. However, at this moment, they were all broken, and their blades were covered with cracks. Obviously, they had been used to attack these vines, but they had failed to cause any substantial damage to the vines.
“These vines are not only absorbing their spiritual power, but they are also incredibly tough. Even those high-level spiritual swords have cracked. If we rush in rashly, we will not only fail to save them, but we may also get ourselves killed,” Jiang Jingzhi said seriously. His gaze swept back and forth between the vines and the trapped demons, trying to find a way to break the deadlock.
Mu Zhusheng was also observing carefully from the side. He frowned slightly and said thoughtfully, "These vines seem to be some kind of special spiritual plant with unique attack methods and defense mechanisms. We need to find a way to exploit its weakness."
Xu Xiaoxiao was extremely anxious. She felt very sorry for Lan Ji when she saw her suffering. Lan Ji was the first friend she had made in the demon realm. However, she also knew that her senior brother was right and that they could not act rashly. She tried to calm herself down and carefully examined the vines, trying to find a flaw.
"Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, look, the joints of these vines are a bit weaker every time spiritual energy passes through them," Xu Xiaoxiao suddenly pointed to a point where the vines intersected. The vines there seemed to be a lighter color than the other places, and they also seemed to move more slowly.
Jiang Jingzhi looked in the direction she pointed, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "That's right, perhaps this is the breakthrough, but we still need to come up with a comprehensive plan so that we can't give these vines a chance to fight back."
The three whispered their plan, deciding that Jiang Jing would first attract the vine's attention and use powerful sword energy to attack the main part of the vine, diverting most of its power; Mu Zhusheng would cast spells to interfere with the vine's movements and weaken its defense; and Xu Xiaoxiao would take the opportunity to approach the trapped demons and rescue them.
After the plan was agreed upon, Jiang Jingzhi took the initiative. He drew his longsword, and the blade instantly burst forth with a dazzling light. The powerful sword energy, like a sharp blade, slashed towards the main part of the vine.
With a loud "boom," the sword energy struck the vine, splashing up a burst of purple light. The vine was momentarily stunned by the powerful attack, and its previously frantic absorption of spiritual energy slowed down.
At the same time, Mu Zhusheng quickly formed hand seals and chanted incantations. Golden runes flew from his hands toward the vines. As soon as the runes touched the vines, they made a "sizzling" sound, and the light on the vines began to flicker, obviously due to interference from the spell.
Xu Xiaoxiao seized the opportunity and rushed towards the trapped demon with lightning speed. She gripped her spirit sword tightly, which shimmered with spiritual energy. As she approached the vines, she used a newly acquired spell technique, condensing spiritual energy into a sharp blade of energy on the sword and slashing towards the joint of the vines.
With a "crack," the connection of the vines was severed by the blade's energy, and one vine snapped in two. The trapped demons let out a joyful cry, feeling the force binding them weaken, and they struggled even harder.
However, the vines were not so easily defeated. They seemed to be enraged, and the remaining vines twisted wildly, launching an attack on Jiang Jingzhi, Mu Zhusheng, and Xu Xiaoxiao. Each vine shot towards them like a sharp arrow, moving at great speed and making it impossible to defend against.
Jiang Jingzhi brandished his longsword, severing the vines that were shooting at him one by one; Mu Zhusheng continuously cast spells to form a defensive barrier around them, blocking the vines' attacks; Xu Xiaoxiao took advantage of the gaps in the vines' attacks to continue attacking the other vine connections.
During the fierce battle, Jiang Jingzhi discovered a fatal weakness of the vines—their roots. The roots of the vines were buried deep underground, but during one attack, he saw a small part of the roots protruding above the ground, where the color was the lightest and the defense was the weakest.
"Xiaoxiao, junior brother, attack the roots of the vines! That's its weak point!" Jiang Jingzhi shouted.
Upon hearing his shout, Xu Xiaoxiao and Mu Zhusheng immediately changed their attack direction. Xu Xiaoxiao unleashed all her spiritual power, maximizing the power of her spiritual sword, and shot powerful beams of spiritual energy towards the roots of the vines. Mu Zhusheng also gathered all her magic power and cast a powerful spell, a golden light like a cannonball blasting towards the roots of the vines.
Under the combined attack of the three, the roots of the vine finally could not withstand the pressure and began to break. As the roots broke, the entire vine began to wither rapidly and lost its ability to attack. The trapped demons broke free from the vine's restraints and collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
Xu Xiaoxiao rushed to Lan Ji's side, helped her up, and asked with concern, "Lan Ji, how are you?"
Lan Ji looked up and saw Xu Xiaoxiao. A look of surprise and gratitude flashed in her eyes. She said weakly, "Xu Xiaoxiao, it's you... That's wonderful... I thought I was going to die here this time..."
Jiang Jingzhi and the other two helped the other demons untie the remaining vines. Everyone gathered around to express their gratitude. Lan Ji also stood up. Although she was still pale, some of the spirit in her eyes had returned.
"Thank you so much, Brother Jiang and Brother Mu, for saving us. If it weren't for you, we would have been finished this time," Lan Ji said gratefully.
Jiang Jingzhi waved his hand and said, "No need to be so polite. We just happened to be passing by. But this Phantom Demon Realm is too dangerous. How did you end up trapped here?"
Lan Ji sighed and said, "We heard that there are many rare spiritual plants and magical treasures in this demon realm, so we thought we'd try our luck here. We didn't expect it to be so dangerous. We were careless and triggered these vine traps, and that's how we got trapped."
Xu Xiaoxiao comforted them, "It's good that everyone is safe and sound. By the way, what are your plans for the future?"
Lan Ji glanced at her companions and said, "We plan to go out first. This experience has made us realize our shortcomings. We should go back and train properly. What about you?"
After a moment's thought, Jiang Jingzhi said, "We would like to continue exploring further, but we will be more careful."
Lan Ji nodded and said, "Then you must be extra careful. The dangers deep within the Demon Realm are far greater than we imagine."
After chatting for a while, everyone said their goodbyes. Lan Ji led her companions toward the exit of the Demon Realm, while Xu Xiaoxiao and the other two rested briefly before continuing their journey deeper into the Phantom Demon Realm. They knew that more opportunities and dangers awaited them ahead.
Xu Xiaoxiao, Jiang Jingzhi, and Mu Zhusheng walked along the winding coastline. The sea breeze, carrying a salty and humid smell, rushed towards them, and the waves rhythmically lapped against the rocks on the shore, splashing up layers of white spray.
The three of them had been walking along this magnificent coastline for many days, their destination being the deeper part of the Phantom Demon Realm. Before them stretched a vast and boundless sea, its waters deep and mysterious, shimmering under the sunlight.
"This sea looks unfathomable, and I wonder how many secrets it holds," Xu Xiaoxiao said, gazing at the ocean with curiosity and a desire to explore.
Jiang Jingzhi frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping across the sea as if sensing something. "The spiritual energy in this sea area is fluctuating abnormally, much denser than the places we've passed through before. It's probably not simple."
Mu Zhusheng gently stroked the spirit sword in her hand and nodded in agreement, "That's right, and I always feel that there is a faint but dangerous aura hidden in it."
As they were talking, a group of people gathered not far ahead, and a noisy discussion came from them. The three of them looked at each other and decided to go forward to find out what was going on. When they got closer, they heard the people around them discussing something enthusiastically.
"Have you heard? The once-in-a-millennium Heart of the Azure Sea is about to appear!" a young demon said excitedly.
"Of course I've heard of it. This Heart of the Azure Sea is a treasure! It can not only give a soul a physical body again, but also strengthen a cultivator's soul and help them break through." An old man next to him stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming with greed.
"However, the appearance of the Azure Heart is bound to be accompanied by numerous dangers. It is said that every time it appears, countless powerful people compete for it, but in the end, very few people can obtain it," another demon added solemnly.
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaoxiao and the other two were all startled. The Heart of the Azure Sea was so miraculous that if they could obtain it, it would have an immeasurable effect on their own cultivation and on the crises they might encounter in the future.
Judging from the descriptions of those around them, the struggle for the Heart of the Azure Sea must be extremely fierce, and the three of them need to carefully consider whether they should participate.
Jiang Jingzhi looked at Xu Xiaoxiao and Mu Zhusheng and asked in a low voice, "What do you think? The allure of the Azure Heart is indeed great, but the danger is equally immense."
Xu Xiaoxiao bit her lip, her eyes revealing determination: "Senior Brother, I think we can give it a try. This Azure Heart might be the key to improving our strength. Besides, we've been through a lot of dangers along the way, so we're not necessarily afraid of this one."
Mu Zhusheng pondered for a moment and slowly said, "I agree with Junior Sister's opinion. Since we have come to this Demon Realm, we are here to seek opportunities and improve our strength. The appearance of the Heart of the Azure Sea is a rare opportunity. It would be a pity to miss it. However, we must make full preparations to deal with the possible dangers."
Jiang Jingzhi nodded. "Since you all say so, then we will participate, but we must be careful and not act rashly."
As the three were talking, suddenly, the calm sea began to churn violently, the seawater swirling rapidly to form a huge whirlpool.
At the center of the vortex, a blue light flickered, emanating from the Heart of the Azure Sea. The surrounding crowd immediately erupted in excitement, and everyone rushed towards the vortex.
"Not good, everyone! Back off! The suction of this vortex is too strong!" a demon with higher cultivation shouted.
But it was too late. Many people were sucked into the vortex by its powerful suction, screaming in agony. Seeing this, Xu Xiaoxiao and the other two immediately circulated their spiritual power to stabilize themselves.
“This vortex is indeed dangerous; we cannot rush down into it,” Jiang Jingzhi said solemnly.
"But the Heart of the Azure Sea is right below. Are we just going to give up like this?" Xu Xiaoxiao asked, somewhat unwilling.
Mu Zhusheng gazed at the vortex, her eyes gleaming with contemplation. "Let's observe it first and see if there's any way to safely enter the vortex. This vortex is so powerful; the protective power of the Heart of the Azure Sea must be formidable as well."
Just then, several old men flew out from the crowd, emanating a powerful aura, clearly indicating their unfathomable cultivation.
They each took out their magical weapons and attacked the vortex. In an instant, light flashed, and the power of various spells and magical weapons collided and surged around the vortex.
However, the vortex's suction force remained strong, and their attacks did not seem to have much of an effect on it.
"Hmph, these old bastards, all they want is to monopolize the Heart of the Azure Sea," a young demon sneered.
“However, they are indeed very strong. If we go down rashly, we are afraid we will not be their match,” another demon said helplessly.
Xu Xiaoxiao and the other two watched all this from the side, pondering their countermeasures. Jiang Jingzhi suddenly had a bright idea and said, "I have a plan. We can use the tacit understanding between the three of us to launch a combined attack. I will resist the suction of the vortex, Mu Zhusheng will be responsible for interfering with those who are trying to seize the Heart of the Blue Sea, and Xiaoxiao, you can take the opportunity to go down and find the Heart of the Blue Sea."
Xu Xiaoxiao and Mu Zhusheng exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement. The three of them immediately took their positions, circulated their spiritual energy, and began to prepare to unleash their combined attack.
Jiang Jingzhi swung his longsword, sending a powerful sword aura toward the vortex in an attempt to weaken its suction.
Mu Zhusheng rapidly formed hand seals and chanted incantations, sending golden runes flying towards those vying for the Heart of the Azure Sea, disrupting their actions.
Xu Xiaoxiao gripped her spirit sword tightly, and once Jiang Jingzhi and Mu Zhusheng's spells took effect, she moved like lightning, rushing towards the center of the vortex.
"Oh no! That little girl is going down to steal the Heart of the Azure Sea!" An old man noticed Xu Xiaoxiao's intention and immediately attacked her.
Seeing this, Mu Zhusheng immediately increased the power of her spell, and golden runes formed a barrier, blocking the old man's attack.
Jiang Jingzhi also increased the output of his sword energy, engaging in a fierce battle with the suction force of the vortex.
As Xu Xiaoxiao rushed toward the center of the vortex, she felt immense pressure.
The force of the seawater, the suction of the whirlpool, and the attacks from those around her made it difficult for her to move forward, but with her indomitable will and unwavering belief, she kept rushing forward. Finally, she reached the center of the whirlpool and saw the blue heart radiating blue light.
"Finally found it!" Xu Xiaoxiao was thrilled and reached out to take the Heart of the Azure.
The moment her hand touched the Heart of Azure, a powerful force emanated from it, blasting her away.
"Oh no, the Heart of the Azure Sea has an array!" Xu Xiaoxiao was startled and quickly steadied herself.
At this moment, other people vying for the Heart of Aquamarine also gathered around, wanting to snatch it away.
Seeing this, Xu Xiaoxiao immediately activated her spiritual power, preparing to snatch the Heart of the Blue Sea again. Jiang Jingzhi and Mu Zhusheng also realized the danger to Xu Xiaoxiao and immediately increased the intensity of their attack, trying to buy time for Xu Xiaoxiao.
In the fierce struggle, Xu Xiaoxiao discovered that she had seen this formation before in the ancient book given to her by her senior brother. She concentrated her mind and used her newly comprehended spell techniques to condense spiritual power into a sharp blade of energy on the sword, slashing towards the protective power of the Heart of the Azure Sea.
With a "crack," a crack appeared in the protective power of the Azure Heart, and Xu Xiaoxiao took the opportunity to reach out again and grasp the Azure Heart.
The moment she grasped the Heart of the Azure Sea, a powerful force surged into her body, greatly strengthening her soul.
"Success!" Xu Xiaoxiao was overjoyed and immediately flew towards Jiang Jingzhi and Mu Zhusheng.
Those who had been vying for the Heart of the Azure Sea were enraged when Xu Xiaoxiao took it away and attacked her.
Jiang Jingzhi and Mu Zhusheng immediately stood in front of Xu Xiaoxiao and engaged in a fierce battle with the crowd. With the combined efforts of the three, they finally broke through the encirclement and flew away into the distance.
"Phew, finally out!" Xu Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the Azure Heart in her hand. Although she was covered in wounds and blood was still dripping from her mouth, her eyes were full of joy.
Jiang Jingzhi channeled his spiritual energy into Xu Xiaoxiao to heal her injuries, and said with a smile, "However, we still need to leave here as soon as possible; those people definitely won't let this go."
Mu Zhusheng nodded. "That's right, let's find a safe place and study this Heart of the Azure Sea properly."
The three immediately increased their speed and flew deeper into the Phantom Demon Realm.